The last good Star Wars film was ESB, and that was a long time ago, in cinemas far, far away. We shall not see its like again.

I liked the prequels, especially ROTS. And, I liked Rogue One. So I do think there will be more SW movies that I like and consider good. I'm sure a great one will come up at some point. I certainly hope one comes along that you appreciate.

I take you at your word, but I cannot fathom how it can be. All the same, I can still imagine watching ANH without Rogue One, and shall watch it without it in the future, and shall not think about it while I watch it.

I'll clarify that I'm not saying one needs the other or doesn't make sense without the other, just that they are now very much linked in my mind such that I'll want to see them back to back. I will be thinking of the one when I see the other. With ANH, I've always acknowledged it as a great movie. It just wasn't as interesting to me as ESB and others. The most fascinating part of ANH for me, by far, was the back story we hear from Obi-wan, references to the Clone War, and Vader hunting the down the Jedi, and the rest.

A film needs to be made for some reason, and a need to supply important information is a good reason. To fill a glaring gap is another good reason.

To provide entertainment would be another. Before you say it, I know, you weren't entertained. But I was.

No, it couldn't have been done in two sentences. It's the beginning, it's the foundation upon which all subsequent films in the series are reared.

That's fair. It was the first and needed to set up a lot. But from a plot standpoint, its not complicated. So I think its unfair to wave aside Rogue One for having an easily summed up plot, when its the same for ANH.

I didn't find anything lackluster about the way it unfolded. Again, it didn't feel great to me. But I thought it was good.

The last film I saw was Passengers. Good, but not great. Too much reminiscent of Titanic, and way too many technical howlers. To avoid too much in the way of spoilers for those who might not have seen it: Radiation. It's a thing. But apparently not in the universe of this film. Either that or BIG GIANT FLAMING HOWLER! (And not the only one, by far.) Still, the characters were likable. Ending was slapdash. After that much corn, I expected a better crop.

This is the Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi movie, right? Been sorta interested in seeing it, but heard it wasn't especially good.

It was great! And the cast! Obi-Wan, Magneto/Gandalf, Matthew from Downton Abbey, Penge from Victoria, Hermione, Sybil Trelawney, just to name a few! I'm not sure why I was so sentimental and cried through several songs. I really enjoyed it.

I've been wanting to see this, as its my favorite animated Disney movie. But I've also worried about it just being live-action replication with nothing new.

Is the music the same? That I do hope for.

I'm sorry I missed replying to this! To tell you the truth, I don't remember all of the original music, it has been along time since I watched the original. I did hear there is some new music and Celine Dion does have a new one.

I'm sorry I missed replying to this! To tell you the truth, I don't remember all of the original music, it has been along time since I watched the original. I did hear there is some new music and Celine Dion does have a new one.

No problem. Just occurred to me to look on Spotify, and they've got the soundtrack/score. I'll give it a listen.

Amadeus. Very, very good. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

Raging Bull. Very good, but as with my viewing of Southpaw, I did not care for the main character so it was hard to root for him.

Star Wars: Rogue One. Wow, just fucking wow. Saw it 4 times in the theater, and 3 times in the last day since buying the DVD. One of the best SW films ever made, hands down. In my top 3 SW.

The Wrestler. Very good, very very good.

"Your focus determines your reality." --Qui-Gon Jinn
"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." --John Lennon
"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan

My favorite Star Wars movie (tied with RO now). First, and last, time watching it with the boyfriend, who has ruined a few other movies for me. When Luke is getting tortured with the Force lightning he says, "Don't you think he probably crapped his pants?"

Saw Passengers two nights ago. It entertained, but doesn't seem like it'll stick with me much. I enjoyed the first Act a lot, in particular the humor in this advanced ship having technology seemingly no smarter than Amazon's Alexa. The android bartender was fun. Chris Pratt did well conveying the shifting emotions felt as the reality of his situation sunk in.

The plot picked up in the last act, but I also found it predictable. I wish they could have kept more of a sense of mystery regarding what had caused the problem, such as by not showing us up front what happened to the ship.

Pandorum had a similar premise (characters waking up from hibernation and discovering something's wrong with the ship), but I found that movie more interesting, more suspenseful, and with better revelations at the end.

The last good Star Wars film was ESB, and that was a long time ago, in cinemas far, far away. We shall not see its like again.

I liked the prequels, especially ROTS. And, I liked Rogue One. So I do think there will be more SW movies that I like and consider good. I'm sure a great one will come up at some point. I certainly hope one comes along that you appreciate.

I didn't hate the prequels. But they are inferior to the original trilogy. I myself liked ROTS best of the lot; I even like some parts of TPM. AOTC, however, is painful, in almost every frame, and excruciating every time Hayden Christensen opens his mouth in the same scene with Natalie Portman. That said, I didn't care for TFA, which essentially serves as a two-hour-plusw teaser for The Last Jedi. And Rogue One--left me cold.

I'll clarify that I'm not saying one needs the other or doesn't make sense without the other, just that they are now very much linked in my mind such that I'll want to see them back to back. I will be thinking of the one when I see the other. With ANH, I've always acknowledged it as a great movie. It just wasn't as interesting to me as ESB and others. The most fascinating part of ANH for me, by far, was the back story we hear from Obi-wan, references to the Clone War, and Vader hunting the down the Jedi, and the rest.

Understood. There is one thing that might creep into my mind while I'm watching ANH in the future, arising from having seen R1: the amazing inconsistency in Vader's abilities from the "earlier" film to the "later" film.

A film needs to be made for some reason, and a need to supply important information is a good reason. To fill a glaring gap is another good reason.

To provide entertainment would be another. Before you say it, I know, you weren't entertained. But I was.

Well, one takes as a given, though I sometimes wonder, that a film is meant to entertain, certainly from major studios with this scale of budget and no cause to push. But then other reasons must be considered, at least, in order to determine what can be made within a franchise, to entertain without damaging the extant works and/or the fanbase opinion. I don't think they gave those considerations adequate attention.

No, it couldn't have been done in two sentences. It's the beginning, it's the foundation upon which all subsequent films in the series are reared.

That's fair. It was the first and needed to set up a lot. But from a plot standpoint, its not complicated. So I think its unfair to wave aside Rogue One for having an easily summed up plot, when its the same for ANH.

I thought I made the opposite argument... It was a film the function of which was easily dealt with forty years earlier in two sentences, obviating the need for elaboration. Then, when it was decided to elaborate it, rather than rendering a clean, direct story as in ANH, they delivered a needlessly convoluted and inessential romp through multiple grim, grungy locations and assorted splatters of digital effects, some with two legs, faces, and doing disservice to the memory of the characters and actors preceding them.

I didn't find anything lackluster about the way it unfolded. Again, it didn't feel great to me. But I thought it was good.

I don't know. The original film laid out the back story, introduced all the principle characters, rescued the princess, destroyed the Death Star, and created an entire fictional milieu in under two hours. This film didn't do half that, and ran two hours and fifteen minutes. That's at least sluggish, if not lackluster, but sluggishness is a leading cause of lacking-luster in films, i.e., slow pacing. It gave me much too much time to get bored.

The last film I saw was Passengers. Good, but not great. Too much reminiscent of Titanic, and way too many technical howlers. To avoid too much in the way of spoilers for those who might not have seen it: Radiation. It's a thing. But apparently not in the universe of this film. Either that or BIG GIANT FLAMING HOWLER! (And not the only one, by far.) Still, the characters were likable. Ending was slapdash. After that much corn, I expected a better crop.

This is the Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi movie, right? Been sorta interested in seeing it, but heard it wasn't especially good.

Affirmative. It's not an undying treasure of the cinema, but it is a good, lightweight entertainment. Don't expect spectacle, don't expect epic, or even a great deal of logic at all points. But it tells a straight forward story about two appealing characters, at a fairly good pace, with a minimum of BS. A rarity from Hollywood, these days.

There is one thing that might creep into my mind while I'm watching ANH in the future, arising from having seen R1: the amazing inconsistency in Vader's abilities from the "earlier" film to the "later" film.

I'm certainly glad they didn't stick to the piss-poor "fighting" we got from him in ANH. But, I loved that Vader's moves at the end of Rogue One were all within the range of what we've seen him do in the OT. Force choking, Force lifting/throwing/pulling, and with lightsaber movements that were tight to the body and within a restricted range. And, of course, within tight quarters against Force-less soldiers with nowhere to run. No somersaulting off walls or newfound agility.

Well, one takes as a given, though I sometimes wonder, that a film is meant to entertain, certainly from major studios with this scale of budget and no cause to push. But then other reasons must be considered, at least, in order to determine what can be made within a franchise, to entertain without damaging the extant works and/or the fanbase opinion. I don't think they gave those considerations adequate attention.

This feels like it would have been a safe way to restart the movies under Disney and provide nostalgia fans have been hungry for. I wish they'd gone for this first to allow more time for a better thought out Episode VII. Rogue One feels like the perfect way to deliver something of a blast from the past in a way that's appropriate (its set before ANH), and which could have allowed for the repackaged ANH as TFA to be avoided. That's maybe one big reasons why I liked it a lot. For me, it was a better beginning to the SW movies under Disney's banner, and I kind considered it that way and as something of a palate-cleanser after my disappointment in the creative choices in TFA.

Affirmative. It's not an undying treasure of the cinema, but it is a good, lightweight entertainment. Don't expect spectacle, don't expect epic, or even a great deal of logic at all points. But it tells a straight forward story about two appealing characters, at a fairly good pace, with a minimum of BS. A rarity from Hollywood, these days.

Actually, I did have a chance to see it, and posted my thoughts right above your last post. Had requested it at the library, and it finally came up for me two days ago. I agree with your "lightweight" assessment.

Miss Sloane might be the next movie I watch, as that just arrived at the library for me.

Rogue One on Blu-Ray. A truly fantastic movie! When it was first announced, I thought: "Who would be interested in watching that? The Death Star again." But how well it turned out! A+

Lord Tesla wrote:Understood. There is one thing that might creep into my mind while I'm watching ANH in the future, arising from having seen R1: the amazing inconsistency in Vader's abilities from the "earlier" film to the "later" film.

Where's the inconsistency? Vader was the swiftest and he pulled all punches to retrieve the plans and the abilities he used were pretty much the same as in the OT-movies. I'd say that he comes the closest to what we see in TESB in this movie: Both as far as his fighting style against the (non-Jedi) Rebels to him deflecting bolts back at them (instead of just deflecting them into walls as in TESB). I think this was something that was needed for Vader: To be shown off as a truly terrifying character.

I probably need to watch it again to fully appreciate it. But its going to be a while before I do it.

Is that already available on disc? I was interested in seeing it, but I wanted to read the novel first. Have the novel, but haven't started it, yet. But I'm about to polish off one of the books I'm reading, so I might start...

Tesla, I got a digital copy a couple of weeks ago; but I think the physical discs came out Tuesday.

Kubo and the Two Strings, beautiful story with a refreshing art direction, full of emotion that brought out the feels. My son wasn't feeling it till the end and then he wanted to watch it again immediately afterwards. A bit predictable for me but I'm not the target audience.
B

There is one thing that might creep into my mind while I'm watching ANH in the future, arising from having seen R1: the amazing inconsistency in Vader's abilities from the "earlier" film to the "later" film.

I'm certainly glad they didn't stick to the piss-poor "fighting" we got from him in ANH. But, I loved that Vader's moves at the end of Rogue One were all within the range of what we've seen him do in the OT. Force choking, Force lifting/throwing/pulling, and with lightsaber movements that were tight to the body and within a restricted range. And, of course, within tight quarters against Force-less soldiers with nowhere to run. No somersaulting off walls or newfound agility.

Well, it was a more visually rewarding display in RO, and he had demonstrated the same techniques in the OT, but with nowhere near the same sense of speed and shall we call it, "determination"? Everything later was much lower energy, much less intense, almost casual. The difference between a highly skilled technician and a force (no pun intended) of nature.

Well, one takes as a given, though I sometimes wonder, that a film is meant to entertain, certainly from major studios with this scale of budget and no cause to push. But then other reasons must be considered, at least, in order to determine what can be made within a franchise, to entertain without damaging the extant works and/or the fanbase opinion. I don't think they gave those considerations adequate attention.

This feels like it would have been a safe way to restart the movies under Disney and provide nostalgia fans have been hungry for. I wish they'd gone for this first to allow more time for a better thought out Episode VII. Rogue One feels like the perfect way to deliver something of a blast from the past in a way that's appropriate (its set before ANH), and which could have allowed for the repackaged ANH as TFA to be avoided. That's maybe one big reasons why I liked it a lot. For me, it was a better beginning to the SW movies under Disney's banner, and I kind considered it that way and as something of a palate-cleanser after my disappointment in the creative choices in TFA.

You may be on to something there; but, for me, Rogue One would have had to be a considerably different movie. Chief among the differences, the excision of the Jyn Erso story. I did not like it. It bored me. A straight-up military story would have been far preferable to that bit of malodorous melodrama. The debate among the commanders and the space battles were the only things I found remotely interesting in the film. And the big robot.

Actually, I did have a chance to see it, and posted my thoughts right above your last post. Had requested it at the library, and it finally came up for me two days ago. I agree with your "lightweight" assessment.

Yep, I saw that, when it was too late. Sorry 'bout that. It would definitely have improved the film if they'd spared us the up-front reveal on the damage. But...I'm beginning to believe there is a broad, deep case of stupid loose in Hollyweird. They just don't notice these things. Or, if they do, they don't understand the importance. They might be able to orchestrate the people and the technology needed to get images on the screen, but they don't seem to have the brains to detect and eliminate inconsistencies, errors, pacing failures, and jaw-dropping stupidities in the stories contained in those images.

The last film I saw was...

Night of the Comet, on Comet, by strange coincidence. First time I'd ever seen it. Not great--most cult films aren't--but better than the other stuff that was on cable that time of afternoon.

Well, it was a more visually rewarding display in RO, and he had demonstrated the same techniques in the OT, but with nowhere near the same sense of speed and shall we call it, "determination"?

Determination, more than speed. The latter also felt true to what we'd seen from Vader before. If you look at the initial several moves of his, its all within a few steps. He sends their blaster bolts back at them, lifts the one guy up to the ceiling. Cuts down another. Then he slices up at the ceiling, and is only just past him. I think, like you said, its more the sense of purpose and determination. The overall comparison would probably be more towards Vader at the end of ESB than in ANH. And even in ESB, there wasn't much urgency from him as he was toying with Luke early on. Later, when Luke emerges from that tunnel and Vader comes out suddenly, swinging wildly, its maybe closer to R1.

You may be on to something there; but, for me, Rogue One would have had to be a considerably different movie. Chief among the differences, the excision of the Jyn Erso story. I did not like it. It bored me. A straight-up military story would have been far preferable to that bit of malodorous melodrama. The debate among the commanders and the space battles were the only things I found remotely interesting in the film. And the big robot.

I've still only seen the movie once, so I need to revisit it, see if it still holds up for me. I liked seeing Vader in his various scenes. Same for Tarkin and that other imperial guy under him.

But...I'm beginning to believe there is a broad, deep case of stupid loose in Hollyweird. They just don't notice these things. Or, if they do, they don't understand the importance. They might be able to orchestrate the people and the technology needed to get images on the screen, but they don't seem to have the brains to detect and eliminate inconsistencies, errors, pacing failures, and jaw-dropping stupidities in the stories contained in those images.

Right. Someone on another forum had suggested the movie might have worked better/differently if they'd reordered things, and started with Jennifer Lawrence instead. And, of course, that would have preserved much of the mystery. Actually, surprising that they didn't go that route, especially given her popularity.

Last I saw was "John Wick: Chapter 2". Third time at the theater for me. The two hours really went by fast.

Did somebody mention Rogue One? Sorry Tesla that you didn't enjoy it. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. I've seen it a few more times since buying the DVD about two weeks ago. When you don't have cable or any TV service for that matter, and only a few movies owned to choose from, you wind up watching the same thing over and over, usually in bits and pieces such as the first act one night (I get home from work around midnight and I'm wide awake then), the third act another, the second and third another, etc. And so...

Rogue One: A+, 5/5

Top Three Favorite Star Wars films on my list:
Empire
Revenge
Rogue

And there you have it.

"Your focus determines your reality." --Qui-Gon Jinn
"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." --John Lennon
"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan

The more I think about it, the more I really just didn't care for it. While they tried very hard to tell an emotional story it never felt earned because almost every emotional moment was undercut with a joke or a snide comment, like they were too afraid to just let the moment exist and had to rush in a quick laugh in order to keep the audience on board. Outside of that, it felt very much like a cover of the first movie - meaning that all the main beats are the same, but the superficial stuff was changed.

It reminded me a lot of the old sitcom trope wherein the characters can go through all sorts of wacky adventures during the episode, but at the end everything just "resets" back to square one so they can do it all again. That was the feeling I took away from GotG 2.

Determination, more than speed. The latter also felt true to what we'd seen from Vader before. If you look at the initial several moves of his, its all within a few steps. He sends their blaster bolts back at them, lifts the one guy up to the ceiling. Cuts down another. Then he slices up at the ceiling, and is only just past him. I think, like you said, its more the sense of purpose and determination. The overall comparison would probably be more towards Vader at the end of ESB than in ANH. And even in ESB, there wasn't much urgency from him as he was toying with Luke early on. Later, when Luke emerges from that tunnel and Vader comes out suddenly, swinging wildly, its maybe closer to R1.

Having seen long stretches over the weekend when TNT had their marathon (and TBS as well?), I think you're right, and it is much closer to Vader as he was in ESB, and therefore not nearly as far from the canonical Vader as I first thought. It's been a frightfully long time since I saw all the OT films start to finish. I need to get to work on that.

I've still only seen the movie once, so I need to revisit it, see if it still holds up for me. I liked seeing Vader in his various scenes. Same for Tarkin and that other imperial guy under him.

I'm still at one showing, myself. I need to get another look at it. I had issues with Vader's voice--James Earl Jones just doesn't sound the way he used to, which makes Vader continuity difficult to maintain--but I'm thinking Vader was better than I though initially, as we discussed above. On the other hand, I didn't like the digital zombies of Tarkin and Leia, and I didn't like Director Cranberry, or whatever the hell they called him. Neckcrink? Kneecrack? Eh, I'd better stop, before I write something obscene.

I can't recall if I've seen a film since the last indicated...

Wait, oh yes, I did. Countess Dracula, Hammer, 1971. Ingrid Pitt. Not. Good. I had gathered it was one of the better of Hammer's later productions, but, if so--steer clear of the lesser films, I must. Most objectionable. No, not because of the bare breasts and (scarce a trickle of) blood, but the tedium. Bad. Very bad. 93 minutes of precious life right down the sewer.

It's been a frightfully long time since I saw all the OT films start to finish. I need to get to work on that.

Me too. I almost bought the complete collection recently when Amazon/BestBuy/Walmart had it on sale for $58. Wish I had. I'll have to wait a bit longer to watch them all. Though, when I do own 'em, I'd like to watching them all starting with episode I.

I had issues with Vader's voice--James Earl Jones just doesn't sound the way he used to, which makes Vader continuity difficult to maintain--but I'm thinking Vader was better than I though initially, as we discussed above.

My reaction to it was not to blame JEJ, but more the processing to create the through-the-mask effect. The mechanical aspect felt different and wrong to me more than JEJ did.

My other thought was that I was so used to having heard Vader's lines in the OT again and again and again, that to hear new, unfamiliar lines might have also thrown me.

Maybe a combination of the two? Or three, if we include JEJ aging.

On the other hand, I didn't like the digital zombies of Tarkin and Leia...

I had no problem with Tarkin on the big screen, and was thrilled to see him back and in a sizable role. I wonder if that'll change when I see it again at home. Leia I did have an issue with. What surprises me the most there was that there didn't seem to be any reason to go there and risk it. Tarkin had a big role. But for Leia, they could have stuck with showing her from behind and the side. That, to me, would have been perfect. Maybe have the soldier walk in, we see her standing there, and the door closes behind them as he approaches her.

My last movie was Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. Liked it a whole lot more than Justice League vs the Teen Titans. Deathstroke was in good form as the villain. Great to see Grayson as Robin in the opening scene, and then in a prominent role as Nightwing in the present day. As usual, solid action in these things.

Interesting. Might be my top 3 also, though I'd have Revenge at the top.

Revenge sure had a lot more action, fight scenes, and intensity, but Empire will probably always come first to me due to the nostalgia and the lifelong love ever since seeing it in 1980. I may have to admit that I now enjoy Revenge more due to the story content, but Empire stays due to the nostalgia I suppose.

"Your focus determines your reality." --Qui-Gon Jinn
"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination." --John Lennon
"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan

Revenge sure had a lot more action, fight scenes, and intensity, but Empire will probably always come first to me due to the nostalgia and the lifelong love ever since seeing it in 1980. I may have to admit that I now enjoy Revenge more due to the story content, but Empire stays due to the nostalgia I suppose.

If I'm doing a best/greatest list, Empire is definitely at the top. If its favorite, then Revenge.

Alien: Covenant - B
Obviously nothing will ever be as good as the first two Alien movies, so it's hard to grade on a comparison to those. Essentially, Covenant built off the basics of Prometheus and attempts to start bridging the gap to the original film. There are some predictable moments and some incredibly silly moments, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable movie.

I love this movie. Watched it in color with the commentary on, and then switched to Noir for the last quarter. I need to watch it in black/white the whole way through. Still not sure which version I like better.